Efforts continue to reunite abandoned elephant calf with herd near Coimbatore

Four attempts by the T.N. Forest Department to reunite the calf with a herd failed, as it was not accepted by the herd; at present staff are feeding and caring for the calf

Forest Department staff taking care of the abandoned elephant calf on Monday, April 8, 2024 | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The Forest Department on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, continued efforts to reunite an elephant calf found abandoned on Saturday, April 6, with a herd near Periyanaickenpalayam in Coimbatore district.

According to the Forest Department, the three-month-old male calf was found abandoned near the forest boundary in Govanur village on Saturday morning. Field staff rescued the calf and took it to a herd that had come to drink water at a trough in Rayaruthupathi village near Naickenpalayam on Saturday evening. The calf was subsequently found moving along with the herd.

However, it was later spotted again near Rayaruthupathi village on Sunday afternoon. The calf was then given glucose and lactogen by the forest staff, after which it was once again taken to the trough at Rayaruthupathi in the evening. Though a female elephant approached the calf and took it to the herd, the calf was found abandoned again near a temple in Govanur late on Sunday, April 7.

Forest staff took the calf to an agricultural field on Sunday night where it was given lactogen, glucose and tender coconut water. Though the staff attempted to unite the calf with a herd on Monday evening, their efforts were in vain.

A team headed by District Forest Officer N. Jayaraj and Forest Veterinary Officer A. Sukumar made another attempt to reunite the calf with the herd on Tuesday evening. However, the herd, which is said to have a lactating elephant, did not accept the calf.